Deep/rough water submerged buoyancy pylon

ABSTRACT

A high floating rescue pylon with a passenger compartment at the top and a long narrow portion of the pylon above water with a submerged buoyancy compartment located on the pylon a distance above a ballast chamber at the lower end of the pylon. The unsubmerged portion of the pylon is designed to be high enough to clear the tallest wave crest. The buoyancy compartment is designed to be below water at all times and high enough above the ballast chamber that a pylon righting moment is created by a couple between the center of buoyancy of that chamber and the center of gravity of the ballast chamber. This righting moment is made great enough to create a stable passenger compartment high above the highest waves.  
     The pylon is launched from a rescue vessel or a helicopter to float horizontally, buoyed at one end by a buoyant passenger compartment and at the other end by the about to be submerged variable buoyancy compartment. A heavy ballast shaft slides out the bottom end of the pylon. The heavy ballast shaft pivots one end of the horizontal pylon downward erecting the remaining pylon with passenger compartment uppermost. The now submerged buoyancy compartment enlarges, inflating to lift the now vertical pylon to its design waterline.

BACKGROUND—FIELD OF INVENTION

[0001] This invention relates to sea rescue apparatus, specifically toapparatus that can pick up and carry passengers stably in the roughestseas.

BACKGROUND—DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART

[0002] Provisional Patent Application No. 60/220,833 filed Jul. 26, 2000by this inventor is incorporated here to establish a priority date forthis invention. The inventor is not aware of prior art related to thepresent invention, a submerged buoyant rescue vessel, has been found.(U.S. Pat. No. 4,527,503 Connelly)

[0003] Rescue at sea has always been plagued by storm driven seas andhigh winds. Smooth waters provide opportunity for easy rescue by boat orhelicopter. But stormy conditions risk the best equipment and the mostskilled and heroic personnel.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] A high floating rescue pylon with a passenger compartment at thetop and a long narrow portion of the pylon above water with a submergedbuoyancy compartment located on the pylon a distance above a ballastchamber at the lower end of the pylon. The unsubmerged portion of thepylon is designed to be high enough to clear the tallest wave crest. Thebuoyancy compartment is designed to be below water at all times and highenough above the ballast chamber that a pylon righting moment is createdby a couple between the center of buoyancy of that chamber and thecenter of gravity of the ballast chamber. This righting moment is madegreat enough to create a stable passenger compartment high above thehighest waves.

[0005] The narrow pylon shaft is designed to provide little buoyancy andthereby the rise and fall of waves creates little rise and fall of thecraft. An air compressor or compressed gas supply varying the buoyancyof the submerged buoyancy compartment to match varied passenger loadsmust maintain the waterline on the pylon just above the buoyancycompartment.

[0006] The pylon is launched from a rescue vessel or a helicopter tofloat horizontally, buoyed at on end by a buoyant passenger compartmentand at the other end by the about to be submerged variable buoyancycompartment. The swimming survivors swim to the pylon, pull hand overhand to the passenger compartment, climb into the passenger compartmentand trigger the erection sequence. This action initiates several steps.A heavy ballast shaft, nested temporarily in the hollow pylon tubebetween said buoyant compartments so that the pylon floats horizontally,slides under gas pressure, telescoping part way out the bottom end ofthe pylon. The heavy ballast shaft pivots one end of the horizontalpylon downward erecting the remaining pylon with passenger compartmentuppermost. The now submerged buoyancy compartment enlarges, inflating tolift the now vertical pylon to its design waterline. The inflation ofthe submerged buoyancy compartment is modified by an air compressor thatmaintains the waterline just above the said compartment. Telemetry withthe rescue vessel or helicopter is initiated announcing successful pylonerection and opportunity for rescue of the survivors.

OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES

[0007] Accordingly, several objects and advantages of my invention are:

[0008] Pylon can be dropped to water rescue subjects as is a life raft,however, pylon supports passengers high above even very high seas;

[0009] Pylon shortens telescopically to a length transportable by rescueplane or boat;

[0010] Stable elevated passenger compartment allows easy helicopterremoval of passengers;

[0011] Metalic roof and grounded pylon protect passengers against stormlightning;

[0012] Height of pylon allows a high visibility platform for a rescuebeacon;

[0013] Pylon provides rescue from dangerous seas or a stable safe ridethroughout the most severe storm;

[0014] Pylon can be adapted to carry a fuel line from a towing vessel toprovide helicopters stable mid-air refueling at sea during storms.

[0015] Still further objects and advantages will become apparent from aconsideration of the ensuing description and accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016]FIG. 1 Horizontal rescue pylon floating as launched by plane orboat.

[0017]FIG. 2 Erected pylon with ballast shaft extended to provide anerecting and stabilizing keel.

DRAWING REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0018]1 Passenger Compartment

[0019]2 Horizontal flotation

[0020]3 Pylon containing nested ballast shaft

[0021]4 Pylon

[0022]5 Low waterline

[0023]6 Submerged buoyancy (varies according to passenger load andchosen waterline elevation)

[0024]7 Ballast shaft deployed as keel

[0025]8 Floating rope

[0026]9 Air compressor

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT DESCRIPTION

[0027] A rescue vessel designed to float a passenger compartment (1)higher than cresting waves and presenting only a narrow tubularstructure to wave action. The narrow structure called here the pylon (4)offers very little buoyancy and consequently little rise and fall due towave action. The pylon must have at a minimum structural strength to actas a beam between submerged buoyancy (6) and passenger compartments whenlifting pylon and passengers in said passenger compartment to vertical.

[0028] The horizontal flotation (2) provided by the passenger andsubmerged buoyancy compartments must be sufficient to keep the floatingrope (8) awash so rescuees can use it to pull themselves to thepassenger compartment.

[0029] The passenger compartment can take the form of a life raft, a“crow's nest” or any self-draining enclosure strong enough to erectcontaining the designed passenger load. The rescuees climb into thepassenger compartment then turn a valve one position for each passenger.Turning the valve action initiates an erection sequence that firstpressurizes the pylon containing the nested ballast shaft (3) with gasor spring that telescopes the ballast shaft down and away from thepassenger compartment deploying it as a keel (7) that erects andstabilizes the pylon and passengers. Next, gas passes into the submergedbuoyancy compartment adding approximate buoyancy to support the mass ofall passengers high above the waves. Next a battery powered aircompressor (9) adjusts the variable submerged buoyancy to stabilize thepylon with a low waterline (5) just above the submerged buoyancycompartment.

[0030] An air sensor at the chosen waterline on the pylon turns off theair compressor when the pylon rises to that level.

OTHER EMBODIMENTS

[0031] Stable buoy for helicopter to ship refueling.

[0032] Search Buoy.

[0033] Oceanography instrumentation buoy.

[0034] Stable, self erecting passenger vessel with movable stabilizingballast.

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus for providing stable support in abody of water, the apparatus comprising: an elongated pylon; a supportat a first end of the pylon; a variable buoyancy flotation device at asecond end of the pylon; ballast carried by the pylon and movable from afirst position between the ends of the pylon to a second positionextended beyond the second end of the pylon; means for effectingmovement of the ballast from the first position to the second positionto thereby establish an upright orientation of the pylon in a body ofwater with the support disposed above the surface of the water and theballast disposed below the surface of the water; and means for varyingthe buoyancy of the flotation device so as to maintain a desiredsubmersion depth of the flotation device in the body of water.
 2. Anapparatus for rescuing persons from a body of water, the apparatuscomprising: an elongated pylon; a compartment at a first end of thepylon for accommodating persons rescued from the body of water; avariable buoyancy flotation device at a second end of the pylon; ballastcarried by the pylon and movable from a first position between the endsof the pylon to a second position extended beyond the second end of thepylon; means for effecting movement of the ballast from the firstposition to the second position to thereby establish an uprightorientation of the pylon in a body of water with the compartmentdisposed above the surface of the water and the ballast disposed belowthe surface of the water; and means for varying the buoyancy of theflotation device so as to maintain a desired submersion depth of theflotation device in the body of water.